High Court Shocked At Loot Of Taxpayers Funds By Corrupt Babus. Calls For Non-Cooperation Movement By Taxpayers To Eradicate "Hydra Headed Monster" Of Corruption

Hon’ble Justice A. B. Chaudhari of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has passed severe strictures against the Government for turning a blind eye to the rampant corruption in the Country. The learned Judge lamented that “It shocks one and all as to the manner in which the taxpayers’ money is being swindled, misappropriated and robbed by such unscrupulous holders of posts”.

He also pointed that corruption has become the order of the day over the past few decades and that taxpayers are helpless victims of the sordid state of affairs.

“Does the taxpayers pay the money to the Government for such kind of acrobatics being played” Justice Chaudhari asked in a rhetorical manner.

He also lamented that ethics and morals have taken a back seat in modern India’s scheme of things. He opined that to eradicate the “hydra headed monster” of corruption, citizens have to come together to tell their Governments that they have had enough. He also recommended that taxpayers’ may have to resort to refuse to pay taxes by a “non-cooperation movement“.

The learned Judge also found fault with the attitude of the employees’ unions who are otherwise very vigilant about their rights. He expressed surprise that the Unions do not “condemn, outcast or demonstrate against their counterpart bureaucracy indulging in corruption” and on the contrary support their misdeeds.

“The reply filed on behalf of the State shows misappropriation and embezzlement of amount to the tune of approximately Rs. 385 crores, which is stymieing. It shocks one and all as to the manner in which the taxpayers’ money is being swindled, misappropriated and robbed by such unscrupulous holders of posts. The money was meant for upliftment of the ‘Matang’ community and instead of that, the political appointee, the Chairman Ramesh Kadam, in league with the Managing Director and the Bank Officers of the Bank of Maharashtra, looted the tax payers’ money. How this huge amount of Rs. 385 crores will come back is a ‘million dollar question’.

For the last over two decades, this has become the order of the day and sordid state of affairs; whereas the taxpayers’ are merely looking at this grim situation.

Does the taxpayers pay the money to the Government for such kind of acrobatics being played.

Ethics and morals have taken a back seat in modern India’s scheme of things. In my considered opinion, corruption can be beaten if all work together.

To eradicate the cancer of corruption the “hydra headed monster”, it is now a high time for the citizens to come together to tell their Governments that they have had enough. That is this miasma of corruption. If the same continues, taxpayers’ may resort to refuse to pay taxes by ‘non-cooperation movement’. It is surprising that the Unions of Central or State Government employees, whether politically affiliated or otherwise, make demonstrations for demanding the application of VII Pay Commission, but they do not condemn, outcast or demonstrate against their counterpart bureaucracy indulging in corruption. On the contrary, they provide support.

There has been a report in the recent point of time that there are some more Corporations of the
State of Maharashtra who have indulged into huge misappropriation of the taxpayers’ money in the alike fashion.

Therefore, this Court expects the Director General of Police, MS, Mumbai and rather requests him to take up such cases and find out the veracity of such a claim made in newspapers, and if there is substance, to immediately proceed to take action in all such cases as the taxpayers are in deep anguish. Let the Government as well as mandarins in the corridors of power understand the excruciating pain and anguish of the tax payers, who have been suffering for over two decades in the State of Maharashtra. There is a onerous responsibility on those who govern to prove to the taxpayers that eradication of corruption would not prove for them a “forlorn hope”.